Self-acceptance phenomenon paradoxes

Abstract

The article provides a brief theoretical overview of studies of self-application by Russian psychologists, it discusses the problem of the phenomenon of self-acceptance as a subject characteristic. The author formulates paradoxes in the study of this phenomenon – destructive popular understanding of the phenomenon of self-acceptance, with the phrase "I am what I am and I will not be different" narrowing the range of activity of a particular person and reflecting the understanding of self-application as the opposite of development. The following paradox of the phenomenon of self-acceptance the author defines a predominantly positive understanding of self-acceptance while avoiding the negative experience of the personality, its features having a negative emotional colour. The problem is the differentiation of conditional and unconditional self-acceptance in the practical activity of the psychologist, when the demonstrated high level of self-acceptance can indicate both the presence of positive attitude of the individual towards himself and the presence of certain protective mechanisms that distort the results of research. Differentiation of conditional and unconditional self-acceptance is possible with indirect investigation of other personality features. Thus, the phenomenon of self-acceptance is presented not only as an integral personality characteristic, contributing to internal comfort, positive assessment of itself, but also as a subject characteristic, activating processes of self-awareness, contributing to further self-improvement of personality. The author defines unconditional self-acceptance in terms of a subject-matter approach.